about

"Merit, the 2003 debut from California duo Meanest Man Contest, remains an underrated collection of DJ Shadow-indebted instrumental hip-hop that contains a seductive darkness inside its psychedelic tapestries. A decade later, Noah Blumberg and Eric Steuer are back with Everything Worth Mentioning . . . and those familiar with Merit might be thrown for a loop by the first single, 'In the Dark', which is more tear-stained electro-pop than anything that approaches good ol' boom-bap — but it still retains the DIY bedroom charm of their older material. 'Do you ever think of me in the dark?', dolorous vocals ask as they're stretched across a woozy bed of synths; elsewhere, guitars shimmer like rays of mid-morning light, giving our first taste from Meanest Man Contest's return a bittersweet flavor." -Pitchfork

"Intense isn't an adjective I'd use to describe Everything Worth Mentioning, but it does conjure emotions in a refreshingly understated fashion. One could see how it could unite disparate music communities — bedroom tweakers, synth-pop heads, backpacker hip-hoppers, Beck fans, and anyone with a fondness for overcast pop songs. Steuer said one of the things he appreciated most about hip-hop growing up was its ability to turn you onto different types of music through use of various samples. In that case, Meanest Man Contest fits right into the legacy of hip-hop." -East Bay Express

"This kind of emotional lap-pop that was pretty prevalent in the early 2000s is a great thing to discover again. Meanest Man Contest had an album during that time and are back, and judging by "In the Dark," they haven't lost any of their luster. It's also got a kind of hip-hop thing going as well as a Sarah Records vibe — a unique combination. I love how the singer asks "do you ever think of me in the dark," hanging on that last word and making it sound as scary and kind of pathetic as it needs to." -Amoeba Music

"The disapproval stamp of sophomore slump is generally applied to the lackluster follow-up to the debut. In the case of Meanest Man Contest, their sophomore slump comes from taking a decade to record a second full length." -Impose Magazine